Jury selected for Fiegehen's murder trial, testimony begins

MINDEN -- The trial of a Carson City man accused of killing the father of his former girlfriend and leaving her mother for dead began Wednesday.

Christopher Fiegehen faces life in prison without possibility of parole in the Feb. 10, 2002, slaying of Alan Chorkey and the maiming of Chorkey's wife, Lorelle, in their Becky Lane home.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Jackson made his opening statement and called five witnesses on Wednesday after jury selection was completed. Defense attorney Richard Young reserved his opening argument until after the prosecution was finished.

In his opening argument, Jackson listed 12 "blunders, flaws and miscalculations" he said were made in the crime, and elaborated on each as Fiegehen listened.

"First, a blunder, the murder weapon," Jackson said to the jury. "We know a knife found stuck in the deck with a Harley-Davidson emblem was purchased 10 days prior to the murder. Testimony will show the defendant bragged about the knife."

Second, Jackson listed a baseball cap found at the scene that had been given to Fiegehen by the Chorkeys' daughter.

"No. 3, a flaw," Jackson continued. "The defendant failed to kill Lorelle Chorkey."

Fourth, Jackson said Fiegehen left a bloody bag of bullets at the murder scene.

"No. 5, a miscalculation: using the Mustang as a getaway car," Jackson said.

Witnesses testified Wednesday that they heard a loud, powerful car speed away from the Chorkey home after shots were fired.

"No. 6, a miscalculation," Jackson said. "The use of a .357 revolver forcing his way into the house. You will learn that the .357 revolver had never been recovered or found, but evidence will show the defendant purchased a .357 revolver in June 2001 and bragged about it."

Jackson's errors seven through 11 listed Fiegehen's failure to clean up the car or himself, trading vehicles, underestimating forensic science and fleeing as errors.

"No. 12," Jackson said. "The defendant, a month after, confessed to killing Alan Chorkey."

Several of the Chorkeys' neighbors testified they heard shots and the loud noise of a vehicle accelerating around 5 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 10, 2002.

Jackson played a 911 recording of Mrs. Chorkey's emergency call. The graphic audio expressed her fright, "Oh my God, I'm dying," Chorkey said to 911 dispatcher Terry Turberville of Del Rey Beach, Fla., who was employed by Douglas County Communications at the time of the crime and took the call.

Jackson also called Deputy James Booth, who was first to respond to the crime scene, of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

Jackson showed photographs depicting the crime scene, including one graphic shot of Alan Chorkey, dead and splattered with blood on the porch of his home.

Booth's cross-examination by Young was cut short to recess the hearing.

Jackson expects to call around 50 witnesses during the trial. Testimony will continue at 9 a.m. today.

Fiegehen dated Lorelle Chorkey's daughter, Alane Dockstader, then 18, for about two years when they reportedly broke up in January 2002. Dockstader had gotten a restraining order against Fiegehen weeks before the murder.

The trial is expected to take four weeks, according to Judge David Gamble, who is presiding over it in Douglas District Court.

Fiegehen, 24, of Carson City, is charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon, attempted murder with the use of a firearm, burglary and home invasion. He remains in the Douglas County Jail without bail.